September 10, Project Topics and Resource Evaluation. Bring ideas for potential projects. What selection criteria should you use? What resources might you need? What difficulties do you anticipate?
September 17, Past Project Review. Review a project proposal from previous years. This should include the paper and presentation (if available). Email a 1 page summary of its objectives, strengths, and weaknesses to the class by 6 pm on September 16. You should have a more refined topic, objectives, and resource list for your project. Be prepared to describe them.
September 24, Proposal Writing. If you were a funding agency (or a professor), what would you expect in a proposal? Do you have any suggestions for improving the proposed outline? Continued discussion of topics.
October 1, Detailed Problem Statement. What is your project? Why is it of interest? What do you plan to do? Some of this will go into your introduction. Email copies to the class by 6 pm on September 29. Be prepared to critique the topics of the other students. You should have begun a bibliography.
October 8, Project Scope. What tasks will you need to complete for your project? How much detail do you need to describe a task? Email to the class a tentative task list by 6 pm October 5.
October 15, Project Background.We will talk about what goes into an outline for your background chapter. It should include all information that a reader needs to understand your proposal. Email a tentative outline to the class by 6 pm October 14. Include your current task list.
October 22, Project Scheduling. We will discuss how to derive and present a project schedule including tasks and Gantt charts. We will use MS Project. Sample. Continue to fill in your background outline.
October 29, Unscheduled. Keep working on tasks and background. Meet with me as needed.
November 5, Proposal Draft Due. Email the class a draft of your proposal by 6 pm November 3. We will talk about mechanisms for peer review and you will evaluate (strengths and weaknesses) at least two projects.
November 12, Peer Review. Email peer reviews to the class by 6 pm November 10. Template for peer editing.
November 19, Prepare for Project Presentations. We will talk about the logistics of making a technical presentation. Come with an outline of your presentation.
December 3, Unscheduled. Email me a draft of your slides by Sunday, November 30 and I will let you know if we should meet during class or at some other time.
December 10, Project Presentations. These should be approximately 15 minutes long and use Power Point. I will invite MPS faculty and students and will use faculty comments as input for your semester grade. The proposal must be approved by MPS faculty for you to continue in MPS 403.
December 12, Written Proposals Due. Please submit electronically. Please also email a copy of this checklist.